Dana Milbank: The GOP back from the dead — at least temporarily

At Priebus’ breakfast, the dynamic was the reverse: He spoke of Republicans’ cyclical advantages and tiptoed around the party’s long-term disadvantages. He spoke of Obamacare as “a poisonous issue for Democrats” and of Republicans “riding high” with superior fundraising. “Regardless of what might be happening or not happening in Congress, the RNC is enjoying a lot of success,” he said.

But what’s happening or not happening in Congress — particularly the failure to pass immigration legislation — has put Republicans at odds with the changing electorate and left the GOP with a difficult route to the presidency.

When Slate’s John Dickerson pressed him on immigration reform and other policy recommendations in the GOP autopsy, Priebus replied that “you’re asking the wrong person.” The chairman said that 90 percent of his job is improving the party’s field operations, data capabilities and revamping the presidential primaries.

Priebus has done that, but the autopsy also said the party needed to be more “inclusive and welcoming” on social issues, while advancing immigration reform. Priebus dismissed questions about the GOP agenda by saying that Republicans are “overly obsessed” with their demographic problems and that there is “laziness on the part of people who simply want to claim the Republican Party has a woman problem.”

Still, the chairman accepted the obvious truth that “our party has had a pretty good record in midterm elections and we’ve had a poor record in presidential elections.”

You don’t have to be a licensed coroner to recognize that this condition is ultimately terminal.